Guidelines for animal-assisted interventions in health care facilities

Guidelines for animal-assisted
interventions in health care facilities
Writing Panel of the Working Group: Sandra L. Lefebvre, DVM, PhD,a Gail C. Golab, PhD, DVM,b E’Lise Christensen, DVM,c
Louisa Castrodale, DVM, MPH,d Kathy Aureden, MS, CIC,e Anne Bialachowski, RN, MS, CIC,f Nigel Gumley, DVM,g Judy
Robinson,h Andrew Peregrine, DVM, PhD,a Marilyn Benoit, RN,i Mary Lou Card, RN, CIC,j Liz Van Horne, RN, CIC,k and
J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSca
Schaumburg and Elgin, Illinois; New York, New York; Anchorage, Alaska; Guelph, Burlington, Ottawa, Hamilton,
London, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Many hospitals and long-term care facilities in North America currently permit animals to visit with their patients; however, the
development of relevant infection control and prevention policies has lagged, due in large part to the lack of scientific evidence
regarding risks of patient infection associated with animal interaction. This report provides standard guidelines for animal-assisted
interventions in health care facilities, taking into account the available evidence. (Am J Infect Control 2008;36:78-85.)
The popularity of animal-assisted interventions
(AAIs) in human health care has grown to the point
where many hospitals and long-term care facilities in
North America currently permit animals to visit with
From the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph,
Ontario, Canada;a American Veterinary Medical Association, Schaumburg, IL;b NYC Veterinary Specialists, New York, NY;c Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Section of Epidemiology,
Anchorage, AK;d Sherman Hospital, Elgin, IL;e Joseph Brant Community Health Centre, Burlington, Ontario, Canada;f Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;g St John
Ambulance Therapy Dogs, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada;h Ottawa Therapy Dogs, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;i St Joseph’s Health Care, London,
Ontario, Canada;j and Public Health Division, Ontario Ministry of
Health and Long-Term Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.k
Address correspondence to J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Department
of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1G 2W1. E-mail: jsweese@uogelph.ca.
Other Working Group members include Erica Bontovics, MD, CIC, and
Sharon Calvin, DVM, MSc, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term
Care; Nora Boyd, RN, CIC, Bluewater Health, Sarnia, Ontario; Renee
Freeman, RN, CIC, and Michael Hawkes, MDCM, The Hospital for
Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario; Cindy Plante-Jenkins, MLT, CIC, Trillium Health Centre, Mississauga, Ontario; Joanne Laalo, RN, CIC, Community and Hospital Infection Control Association of Canada; Robert
Franklin, DVM, Delta Society; Carol Jones, Jan Vallentin, and Don Lapierre, St John Ambulance Therapy Dogs; Judy Sauvé and Nancy Trus,
Therapeutic Paws of Canada; David Waltner-Toews, DVM, PhD, University of Guelph, Ontario; and Richard Reid-Smith, DVM, DVSc and Rita
Finley, MSc, Public Health Agency of Canada.
The Working Group meeting was sponsored by the Public Health
Agency of Canada and the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph.
0196-6553/$34.00
Copyright ª 2008 by the Association for Professionals in Infection
Control and Epidemiology, Inc.
doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2007.09.005
78
patients and residents. But while the use of AAIs and
the evidence supporting their many benefits for
patients/residents has grown,1-5 the development of
applicable infection control policies has lagged. Consequently, current practices for animal health screening
and infection prevention and control are highly variable both within and between health care facilities
(HCFs). Patients’ and others’ pets are not held to the
same standards as animals belonging to formal AAI
programs, even though any of these animals can
interact with patients and health care staff. Although
general guidelines for animal visitors have been published by several expert groups,6-9 a collaborative document that captures the interests of most stakeholders
while providing specific recommendations to minimize both injuries and the transmission of infectious
organisms to and from animals is needed.
To address this demand, a Working Group of stakeholders in AAI assembled in Toronto, Ontario on January 9, 2007, with the aim of finalizing a draft set of
guidelines that had been prepared by the project leaders
(JSW and SL) and circulated for preliminary comments
before the meeting. The participants included 29 individuals with expertise in AAI, infection control, public
health, and veterinary medicine from Canada and the
United States. Led by a professional facilitator, the
Working Group reviewed all identified evidence regarding the risks of AAI,10-25 then systematically debated
each point in the draft document for its validity, considering both the evidence and expert opinion. Issues
requiring further discussion were delegated to expert
subcommittees for resolution. Subcommittee recommendations were subsequently circulated to all Working Group members for their approval.
Writing Panel of the Working Group
Table 1. Rating categories for recommendations7
Category
IA
IB
IC
II
Unresolved issue
Description
Strongly recommended
for implementation and strongly
supported by well-designed
experimental, clinical,
or epidemiologic studies
Strongly recommended
for implementation and supported
by certain experimental,
clinical, or epidemiologic
studies and a strong
theoretic rationale
Required by provincial/territorial,
state, or federal
regulation, or representing
an established association standard
Suggested for implementation
and supported by limited
clinical or epidemiologic
studies, or by a theoretic rationale
No recommendation
is offered. No scientific
consensus or insufficient
evidence exists regarding efficacy.
Table 2. Level of consensus agreement among members
of the Working Group
Rating
Consensus
Nonconsensus
Explanation
More than 80% agreement
among Working Group members
Less than 80% agreement
among Working Group members
The final recommendations were annotated according to 2 different classifications. The quality of evidence
supporting each recommendation was ranked following the system used by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in other infection control guidelines
(Table 1). In addition, the degree of consensus achieved
by the Working Group, as defined in Table 2, was noted.
This report represents the final product of that meeting. Its purpose is to provide explicit and, whenever
possible, evidence-based guidelines to mitigate risks
associated with AAI. The intended audience is human
health care workers (including those that provide
AAIs themselves), although the responsibilities for carrying out many of the recommendations will rest with
animal handlers, as well as external organizations that
provide AAI services. Explicit guidelines for veterinarians, including rationales behind the recommendations relevant to animal selection and screening, will
be published separately. Special circumstances related
to resident animals (that also are used in AAI programs), service animals, laboratory animals, or animals
March 2008
79
that are brought into human HCFs for veterinary diagnostics and treatment, are not addressed here for the
sake of brevity. The guidelines herein are based on
available evidence and may require updating in the future as other issues come to light.
Rather than recommending a rigorous screening
protocol to identify animal carriage of specific pathogens, the guidelines place a major emphasis on all individuals (patients and staff) practicing hand hygiene
before and after handling animals, as well as on other
infection prevention and control strategies to minimize
the spread of pathogens from or to animals. The need
for facilities to delegate a single individual—an animal
visit liaison—to be aware of all animals entering the
premises is also identified. Similarly, a method to facilitate contact tracing in the event of potentially zoonotic
patient infections (or handler/animal contact with contagious patients) is suggested.
Because animals may interact with various populations that may be at risk of infection or injury, certain restrictions on animal species, age, origin, behavior, diet,
and health status are recommended for animals in formal AAI programs, whether these programs are run by
the HCF itself or by an external agency. For visits by patients’ pets, the emphasis is placed on animals meeting
certain basic health and diet requirements, and also on
limiting human contact during the visit to the relevant
patient only (ie, no other patients or staff). Animal visitors falling outside of these 2 categories (eg, those
brought in by well-meaning community members
with no training in AAI) should be denied entry.
GUIDELINES FOR ANIMALS VISITING HEALTH
CARE FACILITIES
I. Hand hygiene practices
1. Require that all patients, visitors and health care
workers practice hand hygiene both before and
after each animal contact.6,26 (IB, Consensus)
2. Require that animal handlers carry an alcoholbased hand rub product with them, and that
they offer the product to anyone who wishes to
touch the animal. Ideally, this product should be
supplied by the HCF. (II, Consensus)
3. Require that animal handlers practice personal
hand hygiene in accordance with the HCF’s policy
for volunteers and employees.26 (II, Consensus)
II. Facility management of programs for animal
visitation
1. Recommend that the HCF develop an animal visitation program or policies for patient-owned animals and for AAIs. (II, Consensus)
2. Recommend that the HCF designate an animal
visit liaison (AVL) to provide support and facilitation to animal handlers visiting the facility. The
80
Writing Panel of the Working Group
Vol. 36 No. 2
AVL’s duties should include keeping appraised of
all animals entering the facility. (II, Consensus)
III. Determining suitability of animals by species, age,
and origin
1. Patients’ animals
a. Restrict suitable animal species to domestic
companion animals that are household pets.
(IB, Consensus)
b. No age restriction is recommended, provided
that the animal is under the control of a handler
other than the patient at all times. (II,
Consensus)
c. Do not allow patient-owned animals to visit
other patients, visitors, staff, or animals. (II,
Consensus)
2. AAI animals
a. Restrict suitable animal species to domestic
companion animals that are household pets.
(IB, Consensus) Exclude those species identified as being of higher risk of causing human
infection or injury, including:
d Reptiles and amphibians (eg, lizards, turtles,
frogs, salamanders)25,27-30 (IB, Consensus)
31,32
d Nonhuman primates
(IB, Consensus)
33,34
d Hamsters, gerbils, mice, and rats
(IB,
Consensus)
d Hedgehogs, prairie dogs, or any other recently domesticated animal species35-37 (IB,
Consensus)
d Other animals that have not been littertrained or for which no other measures
can be taken to prevent exposure of patients/residents to animal excrement38 (II,
Consensus)
b. Deny the entry of any animal directly from an
animal shelter, pound, or similar facility.39-44
(IB, Consensus)
c. Require that an animal be in a permanent
home for at least 6 months to be considered
for visiting patients.45 (II, Consensus)
d. Require that all AAI animals be adults, with
cats being at least 1 year of age and dogs at
least 1 year but ideally 2 years of age (the age
of social maturity).46 (IB, Consensus)
e. Admit an animal only if it is a member of a formal AAI program (whether run by the HCF or
an external entity) and is present exclusively
for the purposes of AAI. (II, Consensus)
IV. Determining suitability of animals for AAI programs
by temperament
1. Verify that the AAI program, whether run by the
HCF or an external entity, requires a temperament evaluation for all participating animals.
2. Require that every animal pass a temperament
evaluation specifically designed to evaluate the
3.
4.
5.
6.
behavior of AAI animals under conditions that
they might encounter when in HCFs. Such an evaluation process should assess, among other factors:
a. Reactions toward strangers
b. Reactions to loud and/or novel stimuli
c. Reactions to angry voices and potentially
threatening gestures
d. Reactions to being crowded
e. Reactions to being patted in a vigorous or
clumsy manner
f. Reactions to a restraining hug
g. Reactions to other animals
h. Ability to obey handler’s commands.47 (IC,
Consensus)
Require all evaluators to successfully complete a
course or certification process in evaluating
temperament and to have experience in assessing animal behavior and level of training. (IC,
Consensus)
a. Require all evaluators to have experience with
animal visiting programs or, at the very least,
appreciate the types of challenges that animals
may encounter in the health care environment
(eg, startling noises, crowding, rough handling).47 (IC, Consensus)
b. If several animals need to be evaluated for behaviors other than reactions to other animals,
require that the temperament evaluator assess each animal separately, rather than assessing several animals simultaneously. (II,
Consensus)
Require that animal-handler teams be observed
by an AAI program representative at least once
in a health care setting before being granted final
approval to visit. (II, Consensus)
Recommend that each animal be reevaluated at
least every 3 years (Unresolved issue, Consensus).
No recommendation is made regarding whether
the reevaluation should consist of a formal temperament evaluation in a controlled setting or a spot
check by AAI program representatives or AVLs during a routine visit; however, if the latter option is
chosen, then annual reevaluation is suggested.
Require that a handler suspend visits and have
his or her animal formally reevaluated whenever
he or she notices or is apprised (either directly or
through the AVL) that the animal has demonstrated any of the following:
a. A negative behavioral change (as described in
IV.2.a to h) since the time it was last temperament-tested (II, Consensus)
b. Aggressive behavior outside the health care
setting (II, Consensus)
c. Fearful behavior during visitations (II,
Consensus)
Writing Panel of the Working Group
d. Loss of sight or hearing and, consequently, an
overt inclination to startle and react in an adverse manner (II, Consensus)
7. Require that any animal be formally reevaluated
before returning to AAIs after an absence of 6
months or longer. (II, Consensus)
8. Requiring that cats be declawed to prevent
scratches is not recommended. (II, Consensus)
V. Health screening of animals
1. Basic requirements for all animals
a. Require that dogs and cats be vaccinated
against rabies as dictated by local laws. (IC,
Consensus)
(1) Exemption of rabies vaccine-sensitive animals may be granted on a case-by-case basis and only in areas where the risk of
exposure to rabies is considered very low.
(II, Consensus)
(2) Serologic testing for rabies antibody concentration should not be used as a substitute for vaccination. (II, Consensus)
b. For the protection of both the animal and people, prevent the animal from entering the HCF
starting from the onset of and until at least
1 week beyond the resolution of:
(1) Episodes of vomiting or diarrhea
(2) Urinary or fecal incontinence
(3) Episodes of sneezing or coughing of unknown or suspected infectious origin
(4) Treatment with nontopical antimicrobials
or with any immunosuppressive doses of
medications
(5) Open wounds
(6) Ear infections
(7) Skin infections or ‘‘hot spots’’ (ie, acute
moist dermatitis)
(8) Orthopedic or other conditions that, in the
opinion of the animal’s veterinarian, could
result in pain or distress to the animal during handling and/or when maneuvering
within the facility
(9) Demonstrating signs of heat (estrus). (II,
Consensus)
2. Scheduled health screening of AAI animals
a. Require that every animal receive a health
evaluation by a licensed veterinarian at least
once (optimally, twice) per year. (II,
Consensus)
(1) Defer to the animal’s veterinarian regarding an appropriate flea, tick, and enteric
parasite control program, which should
be designed to take into account the risks
of the animal acquiring these parasites specific to its geographic location and living
conditions. (IB, Consensus)
March 2008
81
(2) Temporarily withdraw any animal with
fleas, ticks, or mange (mite infestation) and
treat as directed by the animal’s veterinarian
until the infestation has cleared, as determined by the veterinarian. (IB, Consensus)
b. Routine screening for specific, potentially
zoonotic microorganisms, including group A
streptococci, Clostridium difficile, vancomycinresistant enterococci, and methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is not recommended.19,21,22 (IB, Consensus)
(1) Special testing may be indicated in situations where the animal has physically
interacted with a known human carrier, either in the hospital or in the community, or
when epidemiologic evidence suggests that
the animal might be involved in transmission. Testing should be performed by the
animal’s veterinarian, in conjunction with
appropriate infection control and veterinary infectious disease/internal medicine
personnel, if required. (II, Consensus)
(2) Special testing may be indicated if the AAI
animal is epidemiologically linked to an outbreak of infectious disease known to have
zoonotic transmission potential. Suspension of visitation pending results is recommended in these situations. (II, Consensus)
VI. Dietary guidelines for all animals
1. Exclude any animal that has been fed any raw or
dehydrated (but otherwise raw) foods, chews, or
treats of animal origin within the past 90
days.48-50 (IA, Consensus)
VII. Training and management of animal handlers
1. Handlers of patients’ animals
a. Ensure that the animal’s handler has been informed of the HCF’s policy for animal visits
and has signed an agreement to comply with
this policy. (II, Consensus)
b. Request that documentation of current rabies
immunization be provided to the approving
authority for patient-owned animal visits. (IC,
Consensus)
c. Ensure that the visitor and the animal are escorted to their destination, as arranged by the
AVL. (II, Consensus)
d. Ensure that every unleashed animal is carried
in a clean carrier and not released until reaching the patient. (II, Consensus)
e. Ensure that a dog is leashed if not in a carrier and
taken to the patient by the route least likely to expose other patients to the animal. (II, Consensus)
f. Advise the handler of a patient-owned animal
that he or she should expect others (patients,
health care workers, or visitors) to notice the
82
Vol. 36 No. 2
animal and want to interact with it. Instruct the
handler to deny such requests and to avoid
such interactions. (II, Consensus)
2. Handlers of AAI animals only
a. Require that every handler participate in a formal training program and an evaluation of that
training, which includes modules on:
(1) Zoonoses
(2) Infection control practices (including proper
cleanup and disposal of animal excrement)
(3) Identifying appropriate contacts in the
event of an accident or injury
(4) Visual inspection for ectoparasites
(5) Reading an animal’s body language to
identify signs of physical discomfort,
stress, fear, or aggression
(6) Patient confidentiality. (II, Consensus)
b. Require that each handler comply with the
HCF’s policy for influenza vaccination and
any additional human health screening requirements in place for volunteers and employees. (II, Consensus)
c. Require that a handler use particular care in directing the visit to prevent patients from touching the animal in inappropriate body sites (eg,
mouth, nose, perianal region) or handling the
animal in a manner that might increase the
likelihood of frightening or harming the animal or the animal harming the patient accidentally. (II, Consensus)
d. Restrict visiting sessions to a maximum of
1 hour, to reduce the risk of adverse events associated with animal fatigue. (II, Consensus)
(1) Observe the animal for signs of fatigue,
stress, thirst, overheating, or urges to urinate or defecate. (II, Consensus)
(2) If taking a short break (or taking the animal
outside to relieve itself) will not ease the
animal’s signs of discomfort, then terminate the session for that day. (II, Consensus)
(3) Require that the handler comply with
facility-defined restrictions for patient visitation and to be familiar with facilityspecific signage regarding restricted areas
or rooms. (II, Consensus)
3. Require that all animal handlers:
a. Self-screen for symptoms of communicable
disease and refrain from visiting while ill.51
Such symptoms include, but are not limited to:
(1) New or worsening coughing or sneezing
(2) Nasal discharge
(3) Fever (temperature . 388C)
(4) Diarrhea and/or vomiting
(5) Conjunctivitis
(6) Rash. (IC, Consensus)
Writing Panel of the Working Group
b. Limit visits to 1 animal per handler. (II,
Consensus)
c. Keep control of the animal at all times while on
the premises. (II, Consensus)
(1) Keep a dog leashed at all times unless
transported within the facility by a carrier
(as may be the case with smaller breeds).
(II, Consensus)
(2) Transport an off-leash animal in a clean
carrier between rooms. (II, Consensus)
(3) Refrain from using cell phones or participating in other activities that may divert
the handler’s attention away from the animal. (II, Consensus)
d. Approach patients from the side that is free
of any invasive devices, such as intravenous catheters, and prevent the animal
from contacting any insertion sites. (II,
Consensus)
e. Prevent the animal from licking or bumping
against medical devices. (II, Consensus)
f. Before entering an elevator with an animal,
ask the other passengers for permission, and
do not enter if any passenger asks that the animal not enter or if a passenger appears to be
apprehensive around the animal. (II,
Consensus)
(1) For a patient’s animal, prevent non–family
members from handling the animal. (II,
Consensus)
(2) For an AAI animal, require that everyone
who wishes to touch the animal practice
hand hygiene before and after contact. (II,
Consensus)
g. Do not visit with a patients while he or she is
eating or drinking, and do not permit a patient
to eat or drink while interacting with the animal. (II, Consensus)
h. Wear gloves to clean up any animal excreta
(urine, vomitus, or feces), and dispose of the
material according to the HCF’s biowaste management policy. Report the incident to health
care staff so that the area can be properly disinfected. (II, Consensus)
i. In the case of a urinary or fecal accident, immediately terminate the visit and take appropriate
measures to prevent recurrence during future
visits. (II, Consensus)
(1) If submissive urination was involved, this
will require suspending the animal’s visiting privileges, having the handler address
the underlying cause, and then formally
reevaluating the animal’s suitability before
visiting privileges are restored. (II,
Consensus)
Writing Panel of the Working Group
(2) In other situations, requiring that the handler be reeducated in attending to the animal’s comfort may suffice. (II, Consensus)
(3) If repeated incidents of this nature occur,
permanently withdraw the animal’s visiting privileges. (II, Consensus)
(4) In the case of vomiting or diarrhea, terminate the visit immediately and withdraw the
animal from visitation for a minimum of
1 week, as discussed in V.1.b.(1). (II, Consensus)
j. Restrict the animal from patient lavatories. (II,
Consensus)
k. Report any scratches, bites, or any other inappropriate animal behavior to health care staff
immediately so that wounds can be cleaned
and treated promptly.6 Later, report the incident to the AVL and to public health or animal
control authorities, as required by local laws.
(II, Consensus)
(1) The visit should be immediately terminated
after any bite or scratch. (II, Consensus)
(2) In the case of bites, intentional scratches,
or other serious, inappropriate behavior,
permanently withdraw the animal’s visiting privileges. (II, Consensus)
(3) In the case of accidental scratches, consider the circumstances that contributed
to the injury and take appropriate measures to prevent similar injuries from occurring in the future. If measures cannot
be undertaken to reduce the risk of recurrence, then visitation privileges should be
withdrawn. (II, Consensus)
(4) If it is determined that the handler’s behavior was instrumental in the incident, then
the handler’s visitation privileges should be
terminated until the AAI program manager
has addressed the situation. (II, Consensus)
l. Report any inappropriate patient behavior
(eg, inappropriate handling, refusal to follow instructions) to the AVL. (II, Consensus)
VIII. Preparing animals for visits
1. Require that every handler do the following:
a. Brush or comb the animal’s hair coat before a
visit to remove as much loose hair, dander, and
other debris as possible. (II, Consensus)
b. Keep the animal’s nails short and free of sharp
edges. (II, Consensus)
c. If the animal is malodorous or visibly soiled,
bathe it with a mild, unscented (if possible),
hypoallergenic shampoo and allow the animal’s coat to dry before leaving for the HCF.
(II, Consensus)
d. Visually inspect the animal for fleas and ticks.
(II, Consensus)
March 2008
83
e. Clean the animal carrier before visits. (II,
Consensus)
f. Maintain animal leashes, harnesses, and collars
visibly clean and odor-free. (II, Consensus)
g. Use only leashes that are nonretractable and
1.3 to 2 m (4 to 6 feet) or less in length. (II,
Consensus)
h. Do not permit the use of choke chains or
prong collars, which may trap and injure patients’ fingers. (II, Consensus)
i. Identify an animal belonging to an AAI program
with a clean scarf, collar, harness or leash, tag
or other special identifier readily recognizable
by staff. (II, Consensus)
j. Provide a dog with an opportunity to urinate
and defecate immediately before entering the
HCF. (II, Consensus)
(1) Dispose of any feces according to the policy of the HCF and practice hand hygiene
immediately afterward. (II, Consensus)
IX. Managing appropriate contact between animals
and people during visits
1. All animals
a. Obtain oral or, ideally, written consent from
the patient or his or her agent for the visit. (II,
Consensus)
b. Require the handler to obtain oral permission
from other individuals in the room (or their agents)
before entering for visitation. (II, Consensus)
c. Ensure that people who have been identified
(or have identified themselves) beforehand as
being allergic to animals, or resistant to or uncomfortable in the presence of animals, are
pointed out to the handler, along with instructions to avoid these individuals. (II, Consensus)
d. Do not allow an animal to visit in rooms shared
by people with known or suspected fears of
animals or allergies to animal saliva, dander,
or urine.6 (IC, Consensus)
e. Restrict all visiting animals from entering the
following areas at all times:
(1) Food preparation areas or carts
(2) Medication preparation and storage areas
or carts
(3) Operating rooms
(4) Neonatal nurseries
(5) Areas of patient treatment where the nature of the treatment (eg, resulting in pain
for the patient) may cause the animal distress. This may be a particular concern
for a patient’s own animal.
(6) Other areas identified specifically by the
HCF.8 (II, Consensus)
f. Restrict all animals from entering dialysis or
burn units, except under special circumstances
84
Writing Panel of the Working Group
Vol. 36 No. 2
and with the agreement of the patients’ physician(s), the AVL, and the infection control staff.
(II, Consensus)
g. Require the handler to prevent the animal
from coming into contact with sites of invasive
devices, open or bandaged wounds, surgical
incisions or other breaches in the skin, or medical equipment.52,53 (IB, Consensus)
h. If the patient or agent requests that an animal
be placed on the bed, require that the handler:
(1) Check for visible soiling of bed linens first.
(II, Consensus)
(2) Place a disposable, impermeable barrier between the animal and the bed; throw the barrier away after each patient. (II, Consensus)
(3) If a disposable barrier is not available, a pillowcase, towel, or extra bed sheet can be
used. Place such an item in the laundry immediately after use and never use it for
multiple patients. (IB, Consensus)
2. AAI animals
a. Allow the animal to visit only with patients,
visitors, and staff who clearly express an interest, or with patients on whose behalf an agent
has expressed an interest. (II, Consensus)
b. Ensure that all potentially immunocompromised patients are assessed by their primary
health care providers to determine whether visiting with an animal would be appropriate, and
that this information is conveyed to the AVL,
who will indicate to the handlers which patients
are ineligible for visitation. (II, Consensus)
c. Restrict AAI animals from visiting patients who
are in critical care or in isolation. (II, Consensus)
d. Instruct the handler to discourage patients and
health care workers from shaking the animal’s
paw. (II, Consensus)
e. Require the handler to prevent the animal from
licking patients and health care staff.22,52,53 (IB,
Consensus)
f. The feeding of treats to animals by health care
workers or patients is generally not recommended; however, if the act is believed to have a significant therapeutic benefit for a particular
patient, then require that the handler:
(1) Ensure that the animal has been trained to
take treats gently. (II, Consensus)
(2) Provide the patient with appropriate treats
to give, avoiding unsterilized bones, rawhides and pig ears, and other dehydrated
and unsterilized foods or chews of animal
origin. (II, Consensus)
(3) Ensure that the patient practices hand hygiene before and after presenting the treat
to the animal. (II, Consensus)
(4) Instruct the patient to present the treat
with a flattened palm. (Unresolved issue,
Consensus)
3. Patient-owned animals
a. Restrict a patient-owned animal from visiting the
patient in a critical care or isolation unit except
under special circumstances, with the agreement of the patient’s physician, the AVL, and
the infection control staff, and when arrangements can be made to control the visitation
situation to minimize the risk of transmission
of infectious organisms. (II, Consensus)
X. Contact tracing
1. The facility should develop a system of contact
tracing that at a minimum requires animal handlers to sign in when visiting and ideally provides
a permanent record of areas and/or room numbers where the animal has interacted with patients. (II, Consensus)
XI. Determining appropriate visit locations
1. Individual HCFs are in the best position to decide
which locations are appropriate for animals interacting with patients, in consultation with the
infection control practitioner. (II, Consensus)
XII. Environmental cleaning
1. Practice routine cleaning of environmental surfaces after visits.6 (II, Consensus)
The authors thank the many people who provided thoughtful feedback on and suggestions for the content of this document, including Steven Kruth, DVM, DACVIM, Phil
Arkow, BA, Jeff Bender, DVM, MS, Jennifer Calder, DVM, MPH, PHD, Radford Davis,
DVM, MPH, John New, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB, Becky
Jankowski, RN, MS, Bonnie Beaver, DVM, MS, DACVB, Janice Seigford, DVM, DACVB,
Amy Marder, VMD, CAAB, Jacqui Ley, BVSc, MACVS, and Deschler Cameron, DVM.
References
1. Barak Y, Savorai O, Mavashev S, Beni A. Animal-assisted therapy for
elderly schizophrenic patients: a one-year controlled trial. Am J
Geriatr Psychiatry 2001;9:439-42.
2. Sobo EJ, Eng B, Kassity-Krich N. Canine visitation (pet) therapy: pilot
data on decreases in child pain perception. J Holist Nurs 2006;24:51-7.
3. Nelson JP. Being in tune with life: complementary therapy use and wellbeing in residential hospice residents. J Holist Nurs 2006;24:152-61.
4. Colombo G, Buono MD, Smania K, Raviola R, De Leo D. Pet therapy
and institutionalized elderly: a study on 144 cognitively unimpaired
subjects. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2006;42:207-16.
5. McCabe BW, Baun MM, Speich D, Agrawal S. Resident dog in the
Alzheimer’s special care unit. West J Nurs Res 2002;24:684-96.
6. Sehulster L, Chinn RY. CDC, HICPAC. Guidelines for environmental
infection control in health-care facilities: recommendations of the
CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). MMWR Recomm Rep 2003;52:1-42.
7. American Veterinary Medical Association. Wellness guidelines for
animals in animal-assisted activity, animal-assisted therapy and resident
animal programs, 2007. Available from: http://www.avma.org/issues/
policy/animal_assisted_activity.asp. Accessed January 8, 2007.
8. Yamauchi T, Olmsted RN. Animal-assisted therapy. In: Olmsted RM,
editor. APIC infection control and applied epidemiology: principles
and practice. St Louis: Mosby; 1996. p. 97-1-5.
Writing Panel of the Working Group
9. Delta Society. Standards of practice for animal-assisted activities and
animal-assisted therapy. Renton (WA): Delta Society; 2003.
10. The pathological cat [editorial] J Am Med Assoc 1906;47:209.
11. Chang HJ, Miller HL, Watkins N, Arduino MJ, Ashford DA, Midgley G,
et al. An epidemic of Malassezia pachydermatis in an intensive care
nursery associated with colonization of health care workers’ pet
dogs. N Engl J Med 1998;338:706-11.
12. Drusin LM, Ross BG, Rhodes KH, Krauss AN, Scott RA. Nosocomial
ringworm in a neonatal intensive care unit: a nurse and her cat. Infect
Control Hosp Epidemiol 2000;21:605-7.
13. Scott GM, Thomson R, Malone-Lee J, Ridgway GL. Cross-infection between animals and man: possible feline transmission of Staphylococcus
aureus infection in humans? J Hosp Infect 1988;12:29-34.
14. Stryker-Gordon R, Beall N, Anderson RK. Fact & fiction: health risks
associated with pets in nursing homes. J Delta Soc 1985;2:73-4.
15. Lerner-DurJava L. Pet visitation is an infection control issue? Am J
Infect Control 1994;22:112.
16. Robb S, Miller R. Pilot study of pet-dog therapy for elderly people in
long-term care. Pittsburgh (PA): VA Medical Center; 1982.
17. Pet therapy hazards [news report]. Anthrozoos 1987;1:258.
18. Lefebvre SL, Waltner-Toews D, Peregrine A, Reid-Smith R, Hodge L,
Weese JS. Characteristics of programs involving canine visitation of hospitalized people in Ontario. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2006;27:754-8.
19. Lefebvre SL, Waltner-Toews D, Peregrine AS, Reid-Smith R, Hodge L,
Arroyo LG, et al. Prevalence of zoonotic agents in dogs visiting hospitalized people in Ontario: implications for infection control. J Hosp
Infect 2006;62:458-66.
20. Lefebvre SL, Arroyo LG, Weese JS. Epidemic Clostridium difficile strain
in hospital visitation dog [letter] Emerg Infect Dis 2006;12:1036-7.
21. Lefebvre SL, Arroyo LG, Rousseau J, Weese JS. Clostridium difficile:
evidence for zoonotic potential [abstract]. Abstracts from the Second
International Clostridium difficile Symposium; June 6–9, 2007. Maribor,
Slovenia: Koda Press; 2007.
22. Lefebvre SL. MRSA risk with animal-assisted activity and therapy programs. Conference Notes of the 144th Annual AVMA Convention,
Washington, DC, July 13–18, 2007. Schaumburg (IL): American Veterinary Medical Association; 2007.
23. Enoch DA, Karas JA, Slater JD, Emery MM, Kearns AM, Farrington M.
MRSA carriage in a pet therapy dog. J Hosp Infect 2005;60:186-8.
24. Lefebvre SL, Weese JS. Characterizing opportunities for spreading
pathogens through dog visiting programs in Ontario healthcare facilities [abstract]. Am J Infect Control 2007;35:e205-6.
25. Yamauchi T, Baeyens MM, McCoy J, Carter D. The microflora of
animals used in hospital pet therapy [abstract]. Clin Res 1984;32:
8804.
26. Boyce JM, Pittet DH, HICPAC, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of
America, Association for Professionals in Infection Control, Infectious
Diseases Society of America, Hand Hygiene Task Force. Guideline for
hand hygiene in health-care settings: recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Infect Control
Hosp Epidemiol 2002;23(12 Suppl):S3-S40.
27. Wells EV, Boulton M, Hall W, Bidol SA. Reptile-associated salmonellosis in preschool-aged children in Michigan, January 2001–June 2003.
Clin Infect Dis 2004;39:687-91.
28. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reptile-associated salmonellosis—selected states, 1998–2002. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly
Rep 2003;52:1206-9.
29. Stam F, Romkens TE, Hekker TA, Smulders YM. Turtle-associated
human salmonellosis. Clin Infect Dis 2003;37:e167-9.
30. Sharma VK, Kaura YK, Singh IP. Frogs as carriers of Salmonella and
Edwardsiella. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 1974;40:171-5.
31. Ostrowski SR, Leslie MJ, Parrott T, Abelt S, Piercy PE. B-virus from pet
macaque monkeys: an emerging threat in the United States? Emerg
Infect Dis 1998;4:117-21.
March 2008
85
32. Dienstag JL, Davenport FM, McCollum RW, Hennessy AV, Klatskin G,
Purcell RH. Nonhuman primate-associated viral hepatitis type A: serologic evidence of hepatitis A virus infection. JAMA 1976;236:462-4.
33. Swanson SJ, Snider C, Braden CR, Boxrud D, Wunschmann A, Rudroff
JA, et al. Multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium
associated with pet rodents. N Engl J Med 2007;356:21-8.
34. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreak of multidrugresistant Salmonella typhimurium associated with rodents purchased at
retail pet stores—United States, December 2003–October 2004.
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2005;54:429-33.
35. Woodward DL, Khakhria R, Johnson WM. Human salmonellosis associated with exotic pets. J Clin Microbiol 1997;35:2786-90.
36. Craig C, Styliadis S, Woodward D, Werker D. African pygmy hedgehog–associated Salmonella tilene in Canada. Can Commun Dis Rep
1997;23:129-31.
37. Guarner J, Johnson BJ, Paddock CD, Shieh WJ, Goldsmith CS, Reynolds
MG, et al. Monkeypox transmission and pathogenesis in prairie dogs.
Emerg Infect Dis 2004;10:426-31.
38. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks of Escherichia
coli O157:H7 associated with petting zoos—North Carolina, Florida,
and Arizona, 2004 and 2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2005;
54:1277-80.
39. Clark CG. The hazards of pet therapy? Ontario Dis Surveill Rep 1986;
7:1-3.
40. Hill SL, Cheney JM, Taton-Allen GF, Reif JS, Bruns C, Lappin MR. Prevalence of enteric zoonotic organisms in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc
2000;216:687-92.
41. Streitel RH, Dubey JP. Prevalence of Sarcocystis infection and other intestinal parasitisms in dogs from a humane shelter in Ohio. J Am Vet
Med Assoc 1976;168:423-4.
42. Kazacos KR. Gastrointestinal helminths in dogs from a humane shelter
in Indiana. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1978;173:995-7.
43. Blagburn BL, Lindsay DS, Vaughan JL, Rippey NS, Wright JC, Lynn RC,
et al. Prevalence of canine parasites based on fecal flotation. Compend
Cont Educ Pract Vet 1996;18:483-509.
44. Seah SK, Hucal G, Law C. Dogs and intestinal parasites: a public health
problem. Can Med Assoc J 1975;112:1191-4.
45. Wright JC, Amoss RT. Prevalence of house soiling and aggression in
kittens during the first year after adoption from a humane society.
J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;224:1790-5.
46. Overall KL. Clinical behavioral medicine for small animals. St. Louis:
Mosby; 1997. p. 48-50, 283-4.
47. Tucker MT, editor. The Pet Partners team training course manual. 6th
ed. Belleview (WA): Delta Society; 2005.
48. Weese JS, Rousseau J, Arroyo L. Bacteriological evaluation of commercial canine and feline raw diets. Can Vet J 2005;46:513-6.
49. Finley R, Ribble C, Aramini J, Vandermeer M, Popa M, Litman M, et al.
The risk of salmonellae shedding by dogs fed Salmonella-contaminated
commercial raw food diets. Can Vet J 2007;48:69-75.
50. Lefebvre SL, Waltner-Toews D, Weese JS. Should dogs that participate
in animal-assisted activity and therapy programs be prohibited from
consuming raw diets? [abstract]. Proceedings of the Joint Symposium
of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges/American
Schools of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, April 22-24, 2007. Atlanta (GA):
American Schools of Public Health; 2007.
51. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infection control guidance for the prevention and control of influenza in acute-care facilities,
2007. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infection
control/pdf/flu-infectioncontrol-hcfacilities.pdf. Accessed April 26,
2007.
52. Octavio J, Rosenberg W, Conte JE Jr. Surgical-wound infection with
Pasteurella multocida from pet dogs. N Engl J Med 2001;345:549.
53. Chikwe J, Bowditch M, Villar RN, Bedford AF. Sleeping with the
enemy: Pasteurella multocida infection of a hip replacement. J R Soc
Med 2000;93:478-9.